Analyzing Oppression in Steinbeck's Work

Read the following excerpt from John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath: “And the little screaming fact that sounds through all history: repression works only to strengthen and knit the repressed.”

In this passage, Steinbeck explores the theme of social oppression and its effect on those who are oppressed. Write an essay in which you analyze how Steinbeck uses literary elements to convey this theme. Use specific textual evidence to support your analysis.